Fertility scanning technicians are reporting varied results in dairy cows with location playing a significant role in the results. The cold and wet summer appears to have hampered progression in the northern half of the country.

Derek Ryan, who scans in Kilkenny, Tipperary and Waterford, as well as having a few clients in Limerick, said the breeding season of 2015 has been one of the best in his time.

“Cows are in great order, by and large,” Ryan said.

“The general run of things is seeing an empty rate of between 5% and 10% with some down as low as 2%. There is the odd case of 15% to 20% empty rates but that’s the exception rather than the rule. Farmers have kept their cows in great shape and the results are being seen in the scanning,” Ryan added.

Padraig Reilly scans with FRS and covers Cavan, Monaghan, Longford, Leitrim and Louth. For Reilly, the weather has played a role with fertility this year.

“I’ve been seeing quite varied results this year. We’ve had down as low as 5% [empty] but there have been incidents of 17% to 18% empty as well,” Reilly said.

With regard to the higher empty rates, Reilly explained that it is “a combination of two things”.

“As I see it, May and July were very wet and cold, which had a major impact on breeding and coupled with that was less feeding of meal to cows, [which] has resulted in higher empty rates ... some cows haven’t been in as good condition as previous years,” Reilly added.

With regard to general animal health, Ryan said he has noticed some higher incidents of IBR on farms this year while Reilly advises farmers with any concerns to carry out a bulk tank milk sample analysis. Both men agreed that the vast majority of farmers are prepared to cull cows not in calf with Reilly saying that “cull values remain strong and heifer prices aren’t too bad so there is the opportunity to bring in good replacements”.